Melissa & Matthew's Wedding

Rounding off our 3-weddings in 3-days extravaganza last weekend, was Melissa & Matthew’s wedding on Sunday at the Riverview in Simsbury. This was our first time at the Riverview, and it looks great; especially the outdoor ceremony location. The food is wonderful too and the staff was incredibly helpful. Kathleen & I got to share the day with our second shooter Vicki so check out her blog for some of her shots from the day.


These two have a great story: Melissa is originally from Connecticut and decided to move to California after collage; Matthew, a native of Chicago, moved out to California to go to law school. A chance encounter over drinks brought them together, not long after Melissa had made the move. During the wedding day, several members of the bridal party almost boastfully acknowledged that they were there the night Melissa and Matthew met. It was like all of their friends new right away that these two were meant for each other.

It was clear to us back in March when we met Melissa and Matt in Malibu, CA; to do their engagement session. We always pay attention to the way couples look at each other, and with these two it was just magical. It was like they couldn’t believe how lucky they were to have found each other. They were so laid back despite the intense wind on the cliff where we took a lot of their session pictures. (Check out the pictures from their engagement here.)

So it was no surprise to us that Melissa and Matthew kept their cool on their wedding day when the sky opened up for about 20 minutes right when we were about to take formal pictures outside. (We took the opportunity to get some shots inside the Simsbury Inn, where they had both gotten ready). Thankfully, the sun came out again and we headed over to the Old Drake Flower Bridge and got some really wonderful bridal party shots, and took advantage of the cool puddle reflections.

One of the things we love most about weddings is getting to hear all the wonderful things friends and family members have to say about the bride and groom. The best man and matron/maid of honor speeches at this wedding were some of the most moving we have ever heard. It’s clear that family is a priority for Melissa and Matthew. So much so, that they decided to get married in Connecticut, instead of their home of California, ensure that Melissa’s grandmother could be in attendance. And she was, sitting in the front row of the ceremony decked out in a beautiful blue dress. We even managed to get an incredible portrait of her while she was watching Melissa get ready that morning. So sweet!

So without further ado, here are some photos from their day!

What a beautiful dress and a really great mirror we found to hang it on in the Simsbury Inn.


Now these may seem like just another pair of beautiful wedding shoes but actually they are really popular wedding shoes as well. We had three weddings on the weekend that we photographed Melissa & Matthew's Wedding and come to find out all three of our brides had the same wedding shoes. We couldn't believe it, how often does that happen! We had a ton of fun shooting Melissa's pair of shoes against the detailed wallpaper at the Inn.



Melissa with her girls getting into her dress.


Again I really loved the wallpaper in the Simsbury Inn, I thought it really brought out the detail of her dress in a fun way.


Melissa's grandmother seeing Melissa in the dress for the first time.


Melissa & Matt opted to see each other prior to their ceremony so they could take their time with their formals and have more time for their reception. Right when we were about to leave the Inn to head to the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge, the sky opened up and gave me a great opportunity to capture some fun rain / umbrella shots!.



The rain only lasted a few moments and when it cleared we got to spend some time at the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge. The rain actually helped out, I think the puddles on the bridge really add to the shot!. And as a side note, we really loved the colors of that the wedding party were wearing. Very fresh and summery.



I don't think that Melissa & Matthew ever stopped smiling that day.


Just the guys!


The outdoor ceremony area at The Riverview is really nice. Melissa & Matthew had a piano player and a violinist provide their ceremony music.


How cute are these two.


Melissa & her Dad.



Such a nice moment when Melissa & Matthew were exchanging rings, we always get a little emotional during ceremonies and this was no exception.


I really love this shot, it feels very timeless to me.


Some fun details.


The first dance.


This shot was fun for me, the guys wanted to get together for a group shot, they didn't even know I was standing there. I thought it was great to see all the different expressions on their faces.


A fun shot of the cake through the outside of the window of The Riverview.

Congratulations Melissa and Matthew! We hope you have a blast in Costa Rica!